Hylton Center Announces Spring 2021 Programming Updates

The Hylton Performing Arts Center announced updates to spring 2021 programming in a pre-recorded video announcement Tuesday, January 26 at 7 p.m. Executive Director Rick Davis and Director of Programming Adrienne Bryant Godwin confirmed a diverse combination of free and paid digital content through Hylton at Home with a possibility of bringing back small, socially-distanced audiences for select performances inside the Hylton Center's Merchant Hall.

"We have been so proud to offer a dynamic lineup of first-class professional artists alongside the impressive work of our Prince William community Arts Partners and Arts Alliance members through Hylton at Home's digital programming," shared Hylton Center Executive Director Rick Davis. "I'm thrilled that many of this spring's events will be filmed from and even streamed LIVE from our stunning Merchant Hall stage."

He continued, "We cannot wait to safely welcome audiences back into our venues, but for now we remain grateful for the support and flexibility of our audience, and the incredible resourcefulness of our partners in the Arts Alliance. This spring we will showcase their contributions to the Hylton Center in new ways, including Community Arts Spotlights and our first-ever Celebration of the Arts Alliance."

Paid, ticketed events include pre-recorded performances of Afro-Colombian dance and drumming company Sankofa Danzafro (filmed in Medellín, Colombia), the 2020 Grammy Award-winning quintet Ranky Tanky (filmed from the Merchant Hall Stage in October 2020), and an intimate chamber orchestra performance by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields (filmed in Trafalgar Square's iconic St Martin-in-the-Fields church). Additionally, the Hylton Center will stream LIVE performances straight from the Merchant Hall stage, featuring the musical theater talents of Broadway Princess Party (starring Susan Egan, Aisha Jackson, Laura Osnes, and Courtney Reed), and the virtuosic music and commentary of pianist Jeffrey Siegel.

Tickets for Sankofa Danzafro, Ranky Tanky, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and Broadway Princess Party are on sale online now at HyltonCenter.org. In addition to the digital livestream, Jeffrey Siegel may accommodate a small, in-venue audience if conditions permit. Digital and in-person tickets for that performance will be announced at a later date.

The announcement also included the return of Hylton at Home Story Corner, an ongoing partnership with the Prince William Public Library for digital story times with a performing arts focus, as well as more programming by members of the Hylton Center's Arts Alliance. Based in greater Prince William County and the City of Manassas, these performing arts organizations present a vibrant program of performing arts on the stages of the Hylton Center.

Honoring the vital contribution of these organizations, the Hylton Center will present a virtual Celebration of the Arts Alliance May 6 at 8 p.m. The event will feature recorded performances, interviews by Arts Alliance and Hylton Center leaders, and a Raise Your Paddle auction to support the work of the Arts Alliance at the Hylton Center. The event is free and sponsorship opportunities are available.

The extraordinary artistic talent within the Prince William County cultural community will also be showcased through a new initiative, Hylton at Home Community Arts Spotlight. Four artists or ensembles will be chosen to present a digital performance supported by and filmed at the Hylton Center. These winners will be announced in late February.

Hylton at Home is run in partnership with Mason Arts at Home through the Center for the Arts and George Mason University's College of Visual and Performing Arts. Together Mason Arts at Home and Hylton at Home have produced more than 100 livestreamed and pre-recorded digital concerts, behind-the-scenes conversations with artists, and events since the digital programming launched in April 2020.

Hylton on the Hill outdoor performances are anticipated to return during the summer months, with programming to be announced at a later date.

For the most up-to-date programming information, visit: HyltonCenter.org.